It all started in 2010; and by 'it' I mean this blog
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| Artist: Jeni Amos Rodger |
It's subjective, I know, but my favourite London bridge is Chelsea Bridge. To the best of my knowledge this particular Thames crossing is still very much up. Billy Strayhorn wrote a song about it in 1941 (even though he got it confused with Battersea Bridge - the next one along). Strayhorn is not unique in getting his bridges mixed up.
“London Bridge is Down” pic.twitter.com/08w0yV4U68
— Josh Pugh (@JoshPughComic) September 9, 2022
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Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)
On the back of my guitar solo piece a couple of weeks ago I was really interested in some of the comments that were posted in response; not least by old friend of this blog, Artog. Artog comes, and Artog goes; but when he does put his head above the parapet, usually once every five years or so (I suspect he's part of the witness protection program), I always take note. He said he loves it when guitarists do fucked up things. I told him I did too. For instance, Bob 'Derwood' Andrews' from Generation X leaves his calling card all over their first (and best) album. But he was doing it long before on this, the definitive version of No No No (not the cleaner album version or even the John Peel session) - it appeared on the flip side of Ready Steady Go released in February '78. Fast forward to 3:04 and hear Derwood as he tries to keep it together, then listing at the end before finally, and inevitably, slipping anchor. Marvellous stuff, I think you'll agree.
Generation X - No No No (1978)
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* Don't hold your breath for #2 - me and long running series don't mix very well. I leave that kind of behaviour to the ineffable Rol.
And before you ask, yes, I am tempted. What's not to like? Long before I got into heavier and more 'serious' music, the kind of disposable* bubblegum pop those five brothers used to make was right up my strasse and is still hardwired into my brain to this day; if you grew up in the 70s the chances are those songs are still front and centre in your brain too.
The Osmonds - One Bad Apple (1970)
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When I came back I took a slight detour via Gateshead to pull in one of Antony Gormley's most iconic sculptures. I've passed it countless times bombing up and down the A1, but never before took the time to study it at close quarters. I'm so glad I did. It dominates the landscape without totally taking over, if that makes sense?**. Go and see it, if you haven't already...
* Not that disposable after all; still sounds fresh to these ears.
** I'm playing with you; as you probably know, I hate the expression 'if that makes sense?' If that makes sense?
Neil Hannon is a charming man; he is charm personified. When I interviewed him for the paper he was continually feeding me lines which meant the piece I was writing (ahead of a local gig he was playing in town) practically wrote itself. I must dig it out and reproduce it here - he really did open up.
But today I learned a new fact about the Divine Comedy's charming frontman. (I've always said you should learn at least one new thing each day; something you didn't know when you got out of bed in the morning.) And today's new factoid...
Hannon is a patron of the Irish animal charity My Lovely Horse Rescue. Well, he would be, wouldn't he? Here's a beautiful acoustic version of a song from his 2006 collection Victory for the Common Muse - the album he was promoting when I spoke to him.
Neil Hannon - A Lady of a Certain Age
I love songs that throw you. Benny and the Jets throws me every time I hear it. Firstly, that strange out-of-time vamped piano chord at the beginning that tells you something's not quite right. Next up, it sounds like it's been recorded live; it wasn't - the crowd noises were overdubbed from a live set Reg played in Vancuver in 1972 and, bizarrely, Jimi Hendrix live at the Isle of Wight(!). Thirdly, it originally appeared on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in October 1973 - how would the (fake) crowd recognise it instantly - it wouldn't appear as a single for another nine months? And then there's the falsetto vocals; Dwight said at the time he was trying to sound like Frankie Valli; he really doesn't. But my God, despite (who knows, maybe because of) the above, it still works. A most unusual track both for him and its time (I never had a clue what he was wanging on about when I first heard it; still haven't) and probably one of only a handful of his songs of his I can listen to on a regular basis. I realise that's hardly a ringing endorsement, but, hey, them's the breaks. Take it away, Elton...
Elton John - Benny & The Jets (1973)